Method and apparatus for making shutter blades



Aug. 30, 1932. N.-WALKER 3 9 METHOD A ND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHUTTER BLADES Filed Feb. 9, 1931 .4 Sheets=eet l Aug. 30, 1932. N. WALKER 1,874,068

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHUTTER BLADES Filed Feb. 9, 1931- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2- N. WALKER 1,374,066

METHOD AND APPARATUS 'FOR MAKING SHUTTER BLADES Aug. 30, 1932.

Filed Feb. 9, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 N. WALKER 1,87%668 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHUTTER BLADES Aug. '36, 1&32.

Filed Feb. 9, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 30, I932 unireo srarss PATENT orr es NoaMAN WALKER; or LOCKPORT,1\TEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR 'ro HARRISON RADIATOR con- PORATION, or LooKroN'r, NEW YORK, AGORPORATION on NEW "YORK METHOD: AND APrAn-A'rus roe MAKrNGsHU'rTnR Application filed February 9, 1931.

This invention relates to in thec'ooling system of through the radiator h 1 th a motor ve ic e or e forming simultaneously a seriesof operations on several parts in one machine instead of pro- 1 viding separate machines for each operation there results, among other advantages, high 15: speed production and the eliminatlon of 1ntermediate handling of parts which means fewer workmen and less 'scrappage, together with a conservation of floorspace and aasmaller investment in machinery, all of which 20 makes for economy and permits sale of tin- 6' is'hediarticle to the user at low cost.

A complete understanding of the invention will be had upon an inspection of the accompanying drawings, wherein I e Figures 1 and 2 are each perspective views of upper and lower die members, respective- Figure 3 is a section with the tion.

Figure 4; is a section taken on Figure 3. Figure Figure'3.

side elevation with parts in Figure 3, and

Figures 7 8, 9 and are perspective views showing several blanks in various stages of 5?; within the openings the manufacture of. shutter blades for use particularly in the, shutter assembly which controls air flow a single machine. By per-' die members 111 closed posi' line 4 -4: of

5 is a'section taken on line 5-5 ofv Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of 4: in the other block to' BLADES SeriaI- No, 514.648,

insure proper alinement of the parts throughout the range of movement. Fixed to the die block 1 are a series of dies 5, 6, 7 and 8 for' cooperation with other die members 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14: fixedly carried by the lower block 2.

Associated with the die member 5 are three punch pins, shown. at 15 as being held in the block by means of the screw stud 16, and in c'onnectionwith the die member 5 and punch pins 15 there may be employed a stripper late 17 carri-edby the upper block by means of studs 18, backed by coil springs 19. As shown in Figure 3 of the drawings the die or punch member 7 ma'y be provided with one or more stripper or push pins 22 with each of which is associated an expansible spring 23. A' spring pad '25 carried by the stud 26, against which a coil spring 27 acts, is shown mounted in the upper block 1 for cooperation with the die member 8. Pilot pins 30'a'nd an embossing stud or punch 31 are carried by the upper die'block adjacent the die member 6.

The die member 10 is preferably provided with openings '32 which aline' with corresponding openings in the lower die block 2 for the discharge ofscrap sheared fromthe material to be operated on. In, addition to the fixed die members, the lower block also carries spring pads33 and 34 having-coil springs 35 and 36 respectively, as 'well'as retainer studs '37 and 38 respectively; As shown in Figure 5 a die member 39 is mounted in the lower block for cooperation with the embossing die 31; The die member 13 may be provided with one or more openings for the projection therethrough of ejector or knockout pins40, 'the'heads 41 of which are slidable in suitable passageways provided in the die block,'as indicated at 4:2 for connection with 'a supply of fluid under pressure under control of suitable valve means. Beyond the die 13 there may be provided depressible stops or pins 43 slidable in suitable openings-in the block 2 against expansion spring 44 upon engagement with the die '8 as the ram descends. A shelf orshelves 4L5, having a suitableguide plate 46, may be secured on thelowerblock- 2 for supporting the metal sheet, indicated at 47, from which the shutshears the blank from the sheet 47 ter blades are to be formed. A guide member ployed gauge plates 50 having portions overhanging the blanks.

Assuming the machine to be with material to be formed, there will be performed upon closing movement of the ,die four separate and independent operations on as many blanks. The first of these will consist of ablanking-operation whereby the die members 5 and 10 will shear or cut awaymaterialalong the edges of that portion of the sheet 47 engaged thereby, it being understood that as the die parts come together the str1p- I per plate 17 makes advance contact with the blank and clamps it smoothly and "flatly against the die member 10, and that asthe 'movement continues the shearing dies 5 punch out material at each side which then drops as scrap through the openings 32, and the pins 15 pierce holes in the sheet whereby there will be formed apertured ears at the front portion of the sheet along opposite sides as illustrated in Figure 10. At the same time another operation is being performed by the die members (Sand 7 on a part previously blanked out to bring member 6 first clamps the blank against the spring pad 38 and then sinks the pad and s between. the edges-of the dies 6 and 10 while it curls 0r bends the sheet along the leading edge by moving the same into engagement wit'hthe.

curved surface of the die member 11. To 10- cate or center the blank during this initial curling operation the tapered pins 30 are pro-v vided which enter an aperture ineach ear of the blank and firmly hold the blank against displacement while at the same time a portion adjacent theoutermost hole in one ear is raised by the embossing punch 31. The third operation occurs whenthe punch 7 clamps against the pad 34 the central part of a previously curled blank and sinks the blank between adjacent converging surfaces of the members 11 and 12 which serves to. bend upwardly the opposite edges of the blank, thereby forming the blank to substantially. channel shape in cross section. The sinking of the punch 7' also brings the ears along opposite ends of the blank into engagement with the die members 14 which bends these ears upfully charged:

it to the shape illustrated by Figure 9. As the dies close'the the pad.

further curls or bends the leg to form the am blade, as illustrated in Figure 7.

By these several operations all performed at one stroke'of the press, one complete blade is formed after having passed through the machine in four steps. As the press opens and the'parts return to originalpositions, thestrippers push the blanks off the punches and the valve controlling the application of air pressure is actuated to force out the knockout pins 40 and eject the completed blade from the machine.

nular bead on the leading edge of the shutter V be moved forward a given amount for the next press ClOS? ing stroke, which thereby moves forward also. beneath the gauge plates 50 the'blank 'con t aining the preliminary curl and seating on the pad 33, which in its normal position brings the severed blank back into alinement with the sheet, and the movement of the severed blank pushes forward the channeled blank beyond the spring pad 34 until it reaches and rides down theinclined upper surface of the member 12 by gravity into position on the die 13 against the spring pressed pins 43 which are atthis time at their uppermost limit of sliding movement. The: parts are then ready for a repetition of the closing stroke and the several forming operaions as before. described.

It will be appre ciatedfrom the above that, the amount of scrap or waste material is re-- duced to an absolute'minimu m. After the;

stock is once started into the machine the termediate material but forms the trailing edge of one blade blank and leading edge of the next succeeding blade blank. There is, in addition, however, a slight amount of material discarded incident to feeding a new sheet into the machine. This is necessitated by the fact that the edges of the raw stockv are not'squared. As an aid to the operator in starting a new sheet into the machine there may be provided onthe shelf or support .45

at or near its outer end, and in addition to the guide 46, a gauge 60 having three steps or shoulders 61, 62 and 63 spaced one from the other a distance corresponding to the width of a blank with the stop 61 located at a distance from the shearing edge of the die 6 slightly greater than the sheet to be operated upon. These shoulders are for selective engagement with the rearmostedge of the sheet I edge in certain predetermined positions within the die. F or example, the-new sheet is first laid on the supporting shelves 45 with one side abutting theguide'46 and broughtintd a position wherein its rear edge engages the shoulder 61 so that its front edge will then and serve to station the leading Thereafter the sheet 47 j with its blanked-out end may there being no other lie on a transverse line-somewhere within the margins of the die members and 10. The

closing of the die members at this time will result in the notching of the two corners of the sheet, the material cut away dropping through th openings 32 at each side. As the die members are again opened the sheet is moved forward until its rear edge seats against the shoulder 62. Upon the next closing movement of the die members the leading portion is sheared 05 providing a straight edge on the next succeeding portion which is then being blanked out. That part which moved by hand from between the die members on the next opening movement and discarded. The formation of scrap in this fashion occurs only at the. time a new sheet is being started into the machine. As the sheet is again moved forward and engaged by the shoulder 63 the operation of the machine continues, as has been heretofore described, and the only scrap thereafter is that cut from the sides of the sheet.

I claim:

l. A press for forming radiator shutter blades from sheet metal stock fed progressively a given amount between each press closing stroke, including a pair of relatively movable die blocks, work performing parts carried by each block and arranged in cooperatlve relation for actlon on the stock wlth each press closing stroke, sa1d parts including shearlng dies having a stripper device as- V sociated therewith, means to form a preliminary curl on the leading edge of a sheared blank, forming dies to press to channel shape in cross section a blank containingapre liminary curl, and means to give a final curl to the initially curled edge of a channeled blank. v

2. A press for forming radiator shutter blades from sheet metal stock fed progressively a given amount between each press closing stroke, includingimeans to blank out a given portion of the sheet to provide ears along opposite edges thereof, means to sever from the sheet a portion previously blanked out and to impart a preliminary curlto the leading edge thereof, means to bend angularly to the face of a blank the end cars thereof and also opposite edge portions, one of which contains the preliminary curl, and means to further curl the annular edge portion containing the preliminary curl.

3. A press for forming radiator shutter blades from sheet metal stock fed progressively a given amount between each press closing stroke, including a stationary die block and a movable die block, blanking dies carried by the blocks, a spring pressed strip per plate on the movable plate adapted for advance engagement with the sheet, co-operating forming dies fixed on the respective blocks to impart a preliminary curl to the is sheared off to square the sheet must be re-- leading edge of a blank andaspring pressed padassociated with the stationary-block to clamp the blank against the descending die prior to'the forming operation, a spring pressed pad on the stationary block and a,

4. A press for forming radiator shutter blades from sheet metal stock fed'progressively a given amount between each press closing. stroke,: including :a stationary die block and a movable die block, a. blanking die, aguide forthe sheet stock leading to said blanking die, a forming die, a spring pressed pad associated with said forming die and adapted to position a blank in alinement with the blank be- I said guide whereby the blank can be engaged by the stock and pushed forward as thestock is fed along the guide, a work performing part, and an element with an inclined surface leading to said work performing part and on which a forwardly advanced blank may move by gravity to a position to be acted on by the work performing part. i

V 5. The method of forming radiator shutter blades fromsheet stock, includingfeeding a given amount of stock into apress at each stroke of the press and thereby moving forward previously fed material, simultaneously performing individual operations on given portions of the material at each stroke ineluding a shearing operation, an initial curling operation, a forming operation and a final curling operation,-and ejecting a formed blade at the end of each stroke.

6. The method of forming radiator shutter blades from sheet stock, including feeding 1 a given amount of stock into a press between each two successive strokes of the press and thereby moving forward previously fed material, closing the press to (1) cut away material along the edges of the stock last introduced and provide thereby apertured ears, (2) shear entirely across the sheet to separate a blank from the sheet'and initially curl the leading edge of the blanked portion, (3) form to substantially channel shape a blank having the initial curl and bend its ears angularly channeled blade.

7. The method of forming radiator shutter to close the ends of the channel and (4) give a final curl to the leading edge. of a thereby moving; forward previously fed Ina;

- terial, closing the press to (l) shear entirely across the sheet to separate therefrom a blank and form an initial curl on theleading edge of the blank, (2) form to substantially channel shape a blank having an initial curl with the curled edge faced inwardly, and (3) bend to-curled completion the leg of a channeled blade having an initial curl.

- 8. The method of forming radiator shutter blades from sheet stock, including feeding a and (3) bend the ears of a severed blank to given amount of stock into a press between each two successive strokes of thep ress and thereby moving forward previously. fed material, closing the press to'(1) cut away material along the edges of the stock last introduced to aflord ears along opposite sides thereof, (2) sever a blank from the sheet,

an: angular position. v

I The method-of forming radiator shutter blades from sheet stock, including feeding a given amount of stock into a press between each two successive strokes of the press and thereby moving forward previously fed ina- V terial, closing the press to (1) sever 'a blank from the sheet, (2) form a severed blank to substantially channel shape, and (3) reversely curl one leg of a channeled blade.

r In testimony whereof I ,alfixmy signature. .7 NORMAN WALKER.

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